Mediculture: Reflections on the effect of media and culture on our faith

Let’s say someone describes a show on network TV to you that involves a set of characters who are not only physically lost from their usual surroundings but spiritually lost and lonely. Eventually these characters find meaning and communion after death as they prepare to enter a peaceful form of afterlife. You might think Evangelicals had found a way to get their views to millions of viewers.

You’d be wrong. The show I’ve described is Lost, which aired its final, 2½-hour episode on May 23, ending six seasons as one of the more popular shows on TV.

I wrote about the show in this column almost five years ago, following its first season. I wrote that “beneath the surface of viewers’ consciousness rests questions we all wonder about: the place of faith and reason, how we can get along, what is real.”

At the heart of the show is the journey of a group of characters, all of whom are isolated and experience their alienation in a variety of interesting ways. They find themselves on an island—a mysterious island, to reference Jules Verne—and face the proposition that they must learn “to live together or die alone.”

The show was at its best as it explored these characters’ lives—both before the plane crash that left them on the island and during their time there—and their relationships with one another.

The show also introduced many strange events and supernatural elements, such as a smoke monster. This year’s final season explained the origins of that, presenting a mythical tale that tied several strands together.

Many viewers found the increasingly bizarre aspects to the show—including time travel and people coming back from the dead—enticing, while many others found them offputting and stopped watching the show altogether.

Still, millions tuned in to the finale, and the response was mixed. Many found the ending emotionally satisfying, while many others were disappointed at how few answers were provided to the many questions the show raised.

In an interview published May 13 in the New York Times, Carlton Cuse and David Lindelof, who oversaw the show’s story, said they were leaving “a lot of intentional ambiguity.” They also said that the most important theme of the show is redemption.
Of course, they see that as internal and not necessarily Christian or any other kind of religious redemption, though it could include that.

Lost is a good example of a postmodern sensibility. It delighted in referencing many varied sources, from Star Wars to Narnia to Tolkien to John Steinbeck to the Bible. It named characters after well-known philosophers—Locke and Hume—and included religious references. In the show’s final scene, set in a church where many of the show’s characters have gathered after death, one room includes symbols of various religions.
The show raised many questions but refused to provide clear answers. The deliberate ambiguity frustrated many viewers, especially the more modernist ones who want things to make sense.

One of the main goals of Lost was to entertain, to keep viewers watching, and that it did. It used high-quality production techniques, and the acting was generally excellent. All these elements made it a show many wanted to watch.

Why even care about a TV show? First, it can move us to think about ultimate issues, such as learning to live together or die alone. Second, many in our culture are drawn to such shows. These can help us enter conversations about what brings meaning to our lives.